Pages

Tuesday, 24 March 2015

Jeanne Lanvin's First Paris Exhibition

With the Lanvin exhibition just opened in Paris (which I cant wait to see)
here my take on the master herself

Jeanne-Marie Lanvin (1 January 1867, Paris – 6 July
1946, Paris) was a French fashion designer and the founder of the Lanvin fashion house.

“I act on impulse and believe in instinct,” “My dresses
aren’t premeditated. I am carried away by feeling, and technical knowledge
helps me make my clothes become a reality.” Lanvin

a Vogue illustraton
by “Eric” (Carl Erickson) of Jeanne Lanvin at her desk

One of the most influential designers of the 1920s and '30s,
Jeanne Lanvin's was easily recognizable by her skilful use of intricate
trimmings, virtuoso embroideries and beaded decorations.

The fabrics that she used were silk, taffeta, velvet, silk
chiffon, organza, lace, tulle, etc. She used a lot of free-flowing ribbons,
ruffles, flowers, lace, mirrors, etc., and liked ornamentation like applique,
couching, quilting, parallel stitching, and embroidery.

She
took her first job in fashion at thirteen, making and delivering hats for the
milliner Suzanne Talbot. A decade later, she opened her own first hat boutique,
in Paris, in 1889.

She branched into clothing design when she began creating
beautifully adorned dresses for her young daughter, Marie-Blanche di Pietro (her
child with Count Emilio di Pietro) that they began to attract the attention of
a number of wealthy people who requested copies for their own children. Soon grown
women were charmed by little Marie-Blanche’s outfits and requested the designs
for themselves.

Designs by Mme
Lanvin in "La Gazette du Bon Ton", 1922

She became known
for her mother-and-daughter outfits and exquisite robes de style

Lavin Lined her walls with her inspirations her office were row upon row of
bound folios, each bursting with the fruit of her travels—antique brocades;
Chinese silks; precious scraps from India, Persia, Spain. Lanvin translated these
tactile treasures into beaded and embroidered motifs for her signature robe
de style dresses. I want to have this in my studio

Lanvin was known for her lavish embellishments huge bows, velvet-ribbon
flowers, and ruffled tiers, intricate embroidered arabesques, tiny beads and
shells appeared to be printed on the fabric.

Lanvin went home to her dyeworks and created the deep cornflower shade that
came to be alternately known as her signature Lanvin blue

She
became one of the first couturiers to create a division for fragrances, Lanvin
Parfums.In 1936 She created the wedding gown for the Princess of Alcántara

She died
In Paris in 1946 aged 79. Her Daughter Marie-Blanche de Polignac took over the
house.

Lanvin's
active fashion career spanned 50 years from the 1890's up to the New Look just
after World War II.

Lanvin Today

AW2015 show

Lanvin may be the oldest fashion house in Paris, but it has
also managed to remain one of the most relevant. Through many years and many
designers